Akira

[vanhelsing]

After Thunderbirds 2086 Japanese animation seemed to have dissappeared in the west until the early midddle 90s when feature length Japanese animated films began to enter the mainstream. One of the most memorable ones was Katsuhiro Otomo's Cyberpunk classic AKIRA. When I first sdaw this it really blew mt mind and I was wondering 'why can't Disney do something like this?' and you have got to see the motorbike sequence at the beginning and check the sound track out.

[Flash Gordon]

Re: Akira

I Know Akira.
And recently bought a box set of Akira,Ghost in the shell and Ninja scroll.
Disney is rubbish. See studio ghibli.

[tonyfinster]

Re: Akira

I liked manga from the first time i ever saw battle of the planets, its a cultural difference and the financial prioritising from the disney corporation grey suits that prevents disney from the attention to detail and quality.
Maximum exploitation and profiteering, minimum time and expense and quality of production

Akira is one of many anime productions you have to see.
My favourite is fist of the north star.

[Palazzo]

Re: Akira

Picked Akira up on DVD a few years back and it blew me away, confused the heck out of me the first time I watched it but absolutely phenomenal and the animation is beautiful. I agree with the love for Ghost In The Shell too, and as for the Ghibli films my favourite is Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). It's funny because I have seen more or less all of the Ghibli offerings and Kiki was the one I thought I would enjoy the least beforehand, how wrong I was!

Does anyone remember Channel 4 showing anime late-night during the late 90's? I remember watching bits and pieces of Fist of The North Star during this time.

[Flash Gordon]

Re: Akira

Yes, I think I watched Fist of the North Star to conclusion. It was pretty cool. Japanese serials tend to be abit ropey as they milk the animation - repeating sequences to save money.
But when they do it right - like Akira - it is outstanding.
I would have liked Disney, but they were never, or rarely shown on terrestrial telly when I was growing up. I read they only released them every 3-4 years on video, presumably to milk profit.
I wonder if, in their greed, they have lost a whole generation.
I grew up on Warner bros., Tom and Gerry and such.
I don't think I've ever seen Micky Mouse outside a clip or advert.
And, yes Palazzo, Ghibli is touching when you don't expect it. I've found this myself. The one with the cats, or the one about a big thing in the forrest...

[Richard1978]

Re: Akira

I've noticed that in recent years the old cartoon shorts made by the major studios are hardly shown on TV these days.

Though a few years ago BBC2 seemed to be showing on weekday mornings some 1970s-80s cartoons I remember from when I was young.